Encyclopedia Smithsonian

This listing is a sampling of the many ways the Smithsonian will mark the 150th Civil War Anniversary during the next four years.

War heroes are not always human, and the Smithsonian has several animal soldiers in its collection.

The experiences of Civil War nurse Amanda Akin -- revealed through her diary -- reflect the sacrifices of millions of Americans who contributed to the war effort.

The National Portrait Gallery marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War through a series of four alcove exhibitions -- one each year -- commemorating this period of American history. The first of these exhibitions recounts the death of Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth, a friend of President Lincoln, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Steinway's diary -- with the first entry beginning just eight days after the first shots of the Civil War were fired -- spans 36 years of one of the most dynamic periods in American history.

Explore the life and legacy of our 16th president through objects from the museum's collection.

This exhibition starts from the days of contact between Native Americans and European explorers through the struggles of independence to the Gilded Age.

To celebrate Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, the museum hosts 10 rare and important documents from the Springfield library and museum.

This gallery provides an overview of mail service in America from colonial times through the 19th century, stressing the importance of written communication in the young nation.

To celebrate Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, the museum showcases the rarely exhibited White House's copy of the Gettysburg Address.

This exhibition addresses the emotional importance of mail to troops and their families during wartime and the logistics of delivering mail to troops at war.

Some 100 photographs survey the work of 19th-century American photographer Mathew Brady.

To commemorate the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth, this exhibition provides many faces of Lincoln from the museum's collection, a collection that charts Lincoln's passage from a fresh-faced Illinois congressman to his grizzled isolation as president.

This exhibition surveys the history of America's military from the Colonial Era to the present conflict in Iraq.

Original letters from the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam highlight the importance of letter writing and reveal that extraordinary history is contained in these letters.

The ability to communicate quickly in wartime can profoundly affect military actions and outcomes. Communication in the field was assisted with the success of new portable tabletop printing presses at the beginning of the American Civil War (1861–65).

Stream complete tracks of Civil War music from Smithsonian Folkways Radio.

For the first time ever, a large number of selections from the Smithsonian Institution's vast Civil War collections are available instantly to people around the world.

This digital exhibition presents and interprets his Civil War diary. Visitors can read his writing, examine published illustrations, follow his trek on a historic map of Kentucky, mark events of his life on the timeline, and explore selected diary entries in greater depth on the blog.